Caught in the Spider's Web
by baichan
Summary: How could it have gone so wrong? She was only twelve. The first one to notice anything was wrong was Bruce. She was in a catatonic state. Tear tracks on her face. She had trusted her and might have loved her. People thought it was just a sisterly platonic relationship. genderbend!Robin/manipulating!Tarantula/Catalina Trigger warning! dubious-consent, age difference
1. Chapter 1

_She had been in a few of the classes the school board had put her in because she was so ahead of other students her age. Her. Catalina Flores. The name rolled in her mouth like no other, but as much as she liked saying it she loved the way Catalina said it when introducing herself. The way it rolled off her tongue with ease and that __**lovely**__ accent._

"_Hola!_ My name is Catalina Flores!"

Dixie had grinned, taken by that charming smile, bright eyes, and lovely tan skin.

"Hi, my name's Dixie! Are you new here?"

"Mhm! My family just relocated to Gotham from Blüdhaven."

Dixie acted surprise, "Wow, I hear they have a worse crime problem than Gotham, which is saying something."

Catalina giggled awkwardly, "Ya…."

They stood there for an awkward moment, and Dixie coughed.

"Uhm, Gotham does have Batman and Robin, so that probably helps keeps it down."

Catalina's eyes lit up, "I know! They make me feel so safe!"

Dixie grinned.

_In class, or mostly before and after when they talked she would listen to that accent and think about it afterwards, and that smile that she flashed with those perfectly shaped lips and straight white teeth, that was just flirty enough to make her blush, yet friendly enough to be innocent. It had still made her knees weak._

* * *

_It had started with the tutoring, in Spanish for Dixie when Catalina had offered, learning that she was in already in Spanish 4. Dixie's teacher was contemplating moving her to the Advanced Placement class._

"You take Spanish?" Catalina said coming out of seemingly nowhere to sit next to Dixie at lunch.

Dixie took it in stride and nodded, "And French."

Catalina made a clicking sound with her tongue.

"Why didn't you tell me,_ chica? _You know I'm fluent in _Español!" _she announced with a bright smile, roll of her eyes, and slightly exaggerated hand gestures.

Dixie also rolled her eyes, her smile not as bright but still there, "It just never came up."

Catalina pouted, and looked up, as if she was contemplating something. Then she looked back at Dixie with a mischievous smile. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Dixie, resting her chin on her shoulder, looking up at her with those pouty brown eyes, a few strands of her black hair pulled back in a ponytail escaped and fell in her face.

"_Dixie~," _she drawled out in a sweet as molasses tone, "how about I tutor you? We can hang out in that big mansion of yours."

Dixie leaned into the hug a big smile on her face.

_Why does she make me have no resolve?_

"That would be awesome."

The flirty Hispanic grinned and tightened her hold make the cutes face.

Dixie giggled.

* * *

Robin held in a sob as she lay on her bed at the base.  
_How could it have gone so wrong?_

* * *

_It was the anniversary of her parent's death. Per tradition she was locked up in her room, the traumatic events replaying in her mind, over and over, and __**over**__ again. She was practically in a catatonic state. The memories fresh in her mind. Sometime in the afternoon she would come down, remembering happier things about her parents. The time they had been in Paris and it had snowed the most perfectly delicate snowflakes glittering with the lights of Paris, the cold crisp air was bitter to the tips of her nose and ears, but it had her alert, and made the experience so other worldly, like a picture you could enter._

The doorbell rang echoing in the house. Dixie flinched.

Alfred opened the door and was met with a perky 15 year old holding a bouquet of lilies. It was beautiful, tiger lilies, Peruvian lilies, white Madonna lilies.

He didn't say anything except a 'follow me please, ma'am', and led her to the parlor, going to Dixie's room to announce the arrival of her friend.

Bruce saw this from the kitchen and stared her down.

Catalina peered at him.

"I just want to be there for her."

Bruce nodded and turned, going back to the newspaper in front of him.

Alfred returned, guiding her to Dixie's room.

It was dark, the only light peeking in from between the closed curtains and the door.

Alfred left, not closing the door and Catalina placed the bouquet in a vase that the butler must have set left for the flowers, then walked to the curtains, opening the first layer revealing another sheer opaque layer, letting the light in but in a softer tone. Next she walked back to the door closing it. Finally she stood in front of the bed and stared down at Dixie.

She was wrapped in a blanket, lying on her side in a ball. Her black hair that reached just past her shoulders was splayed on the bed, eyes rimmed red, with tear tracks evident on her face.

Catalina sighed, "Oh _cariño_."

Dixie made a small miserable sound, eyes moving to watch Catalina.

Catalina crawled on the bed and moved to straddle Dixie, moving her so she was lying flat.

"_Cielo_, I can help you, _forget."_ She said in a sultry, husky voice.

Dixie sniffled, lying impassively, _trustingly_ beneath Catalina.

She tensed.

Catalina sighed again, moving her hand so she can slowly stroke the side of her face, moving her fingers through her hair.

"_Hermosa."_

Catalina leaned down and gently pressed her lips to Dixie's,_ no_ to Rebecca's.

Catalina breathed the name out.

"_Rebecca._"

Her tongue traced the lines of Rebecca's still lips.

Dixie very lightly pressed her lips against Catalina's, opening them slightly to allow her entrance.

Catalina smirked slightly, before kissing her deeply.

Catalina moaned, her hands moving to the edge of Rebecca's pajama shirt.

"Let me help you forget."

Her hands slipped under the shirt.

_She had only been twelve, just on the cusp of being thirteen. They weren't open about their relationship, but Catalina was notably sweeter to the young girl. People thought it was cute, they thought Catalina was acting like a big sister. Rebecca, __**Dixie**_**, **_wasn't sure what their relationship was, so she just let Catalina direct it, and when she whispered words like _querida_, _novia, _and, other pet names like baby, she just accepted them. And even though she tended to be catatonic during their 'alone' time, Catalina never seemed to mind._

* * *

_The first one to see anything wrong was, of course, Bruce. At first he was just a little worried about Catalina's wandering eyes, not realizing that it had already gone past that, but he convinced himself that it was purely a platonic, sisterly relationship. Still he was worried, even though Rebecca smiled and laughed, she seemed…. more withdrawn. Then something happened, and he couldn't deny that something wasn't right._

Bruce had been just walking in the door, home early. Alfred was not there to greet him, having gone to the store. He had just wanted to say hello to his daughter and Catalina, who was more or less likely to be there. He walked up and opened Dixie's door.

What he saw sent a cold shot of adrenaline, from fear for his child, and something heavy in the pit of his stomach, making him feel like he was going to be sick.

Catalina's hands were tracing curves, and her lips were on his daughters. She was pressed against Dixie who was lying flat, like she usually did during their 'sessions'.

"Get out."

Catalina flinched and looked up at Bruce, eyes wide in alarm. She quickly pulled back, revealing that Dixie's shirt was rucked up so her ribs were visible.

"_Get out. _You are not welcome here anymore."

Catalina hurried past him slowing down only glare at him and curl her lip, before continuing out the door.

Bruce walked to the bed once he heard the slamming of a door. Dixie flinched slightly.

"You're too young to be doing this! You just turned thirteen and- are you even listening to me?"

Dixie hadn't moved, just continued to lay there and stare up at the ceiling.

"Dixie. Dixie. _Rebecca!" _

That got a reaction. A tear slid down her face, and she suppressed a sob, turning to curl up on her side, away from her father. Away from where Catalina had left.

Bruce felt another shot of adrenaline and the pit in his stomach

"Oh Rebecca." He whispered, biting his lip to prevent all the emotion that was evident in his voice.

_When she was more responsive he had requested that she took therapy, and pressed charges.  
__Dixie refused both accounts, but started to communicate more with Bruce. Well, a little more.  
__She told him Catalina was inviting her to her house, that Catalina was there at school, and that Catalina was friends with all of her friends and was __**always**__ there. Bruce found ways to help, he switched her schools, to an elite school that had people she knew, like the Commissioner's daughter, and he also found an __**alternative **__therapy method. At least, that's what he called it, most people called it the Young Justice._

* * *

**(A/N) Baichan:** Okay I need your help readers! Firstly, I am contemplating genderbending people on the team, bringing in Starfire, and Jason, but I'm not sure... Also the team will only be up to Artemis and maybe Zatanna.

**EDIT:** Okay I fixed some spelling mistakes and left out words! Tell me what you think! I don't mean to be stingy or whatever but I have the next chapter ready, I'm just gonna wait until I have at least**one** more review because they make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. So... **Review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**(A/N) Baichan: I apologize for any lack of continuity in the orginization of this story. Also I don't use betas except for one story and this isn't that story.**

**In answer to RobinFangirl: Thank you so much for reviewing! Please continue too! I enjoyed your review alot and it encouraged me to post and continue with this she is the youngest on the team and I'm sorry for lack of Bat-Family, but I just had a hard time integrating it so far so unfortuantly it may not happen. I keep thinking, I can bring an older Jason or Tim or Damian, but it just doesn't work out and therefore doesn't happen. In my headcannon they would just be too protective and try handle alot of things for Robin, or at least help. It would just be adding an element that's such a wild card. Regarding Catalina, I love your opinion, she's such a controversial character and I just love controversy in a story so that's what I was shooting for.**

* * *

_Dixie was excited about being on a team, this would be the first time she would have really been around other heroes, and her age at that. Of course she knew about them, their known powers, and even a few of their secret identities, but she hadn't really met any of them. She and Kid Flash had had some times together, but she had been younger, and well…. she assumed the **boy** had thought of her in the same likeness. Honestly she was okay with that, it made her feel, less vulnerable, like a different person. It worried Bruce, but he was going to let her make her decisions about something this personal, especially if it was something she needed._

* * *

_It had started out with her, Kid Flash, and Kaldur, and to be honest, she swore she would choke on the testosterone sometimes. Then Kryptongirl had joined. She had been a ball of rage, for days, **weeks** after Superman had rejected her._

Dixie sat next to a sulking Supergirl (that's what they called her, the _only_ name they had to call her, at first) on the couch. They were the only people at the base.

Dixie sighed and looked straight at Supergirl through the lenses of her mask.

"You're not him."

Supergirl glared at her, her cheeks turning red in a flurry of emotions, all defaulting on rage and anger.

"You're your own person now, you can be whoever you want to be, you don't have to be like him. You just have to be _yourself_."

Supergirl huffed slightly but pondered her words.

"It's time to branch out! Be who _you_ want to be! Find out what _you_ like!"

Dixie smiled at her, "We'll be there for you along the way."

Supergirl's questioning gaze was on her, but she felt more in that gaze than questions, more than blind, frustrated anger. She felt realization, or at least, Dixie hoped she did.

_Later she had refused anybody who called her Supergirl, only responding to Kryptongirl, she seemed relieved at the sense of independence, like a weight had been lifted from her. She was freer, alleviated from a few ties to Superman.  
__Mister Martian had also joined, and he was the sweetest thing, sometimes he tried to act masculine, or manly, but for some reason he ended up spending more time in the kitchen, baking cookies, or making the next meal. They usually ended up ordering out, which was weird and hard to explain to the delivery boy when you basically lived in a mountain.  
__And then there was Artemis, and that was their dysfunctional family of a team. _

* * *

_Dixie knew how they saw her, as a boy, and really for a while she hadn't bothered to correct them, but then the secrets had come out, Artemis and her family (not that she hadn't already known), M'rgann being a white Martian, and Kryptongirl and the shields, it had all come out, and Dixie suddenly found herself guilty of holding secrets above her teammates, she wanted to let them in, to trust in them. She was scared but she decided it would make her stronger, to have others that trusted in her, and that she could trust with that vulnerability. By withholding the simplest things from them, it had gone from feeling protected to feeling alienated.  
__She wished her hair was longer so they would just know, but she had freaked and ruined the optio of them just knowing.  
__It had been the night before she was switching schools._

Dixie stared at her reflection, her hair in pigtails that reached to her shoulders. She moved a hand to run her fingers through them and suddenly thought of a tanner hand running through her hair. Sometimes stroking gently, running her long fingers through the black locks, or pulling harshly, whether to tug her into a passionate kiss or demanding something more.

She freaked, grabbed a pair of scissors and pulled her hair out of the pigtails. She started cutting, _sobbing,_ she was lucky Bruce had been walking by her room, her barged into her room and grabbed the scissors from her.

That night he took her to the salon.

She got a cut that was a slightly long pixie cut, the nice salon lady had fixed the damage to her hair and made it look like an amazing. By the end of the hair cut Dixie was grinning like an idiot. It was short, but it was different, new.

She loved it.

* * *

_The cut really hadn't helped with the whole I want people to know I'm a girl thing, but she was determined to trust her team with that information. So one day, she just told them. Of course it hadn't happened **just** like that, but…. Something along those lines._

They had been sitting around Wally arguing with Kryptongirl over the remote, she refused to give it to him because the show he wanted to watch had monkeys.

Kryptongirl _really _hated monkeys.

Artemis groaned and looked at her for help.

"Rob, can you do something? I don't want to go near that."

Dixie nodded and walked over to the increasingly heated fight.

Kryptongirl pulled her fist back near her black hair, blue eyes shining with fury, her muscularly lean body poised to strike and Kid Flash spouting annoying nonsense from the motor he called a mouth and was running around Kryptongirl, waving the probably busted remote around like it was a tall glass of water, and Kryptongirl was a dehydrated Texan.

They needed a distraction.

Dixie would've smirked at the perfect timing if she wasn't so nervous.

"I'm a girl."

Everything just sort of paused.

Kid Flash had stopped running to stare at her in shock and disbelieve, and Kryptongirl relaxed her fist and looked at her in puzzlement.

Dixie felt a twinge of smugness in her. Mission accomplished, both of them.

Artemis had a 'wtf' look and Kaldur's face was as bright as a cherry, whether it was because he had treated her like a him, or because he hadn't known something so simple about a team member when he was the leader and they _were_ two of the first on the team, she wasn't sure. Maybe he was trying to remember if she had ever showered in the communal showers or if he had ever seen anything that would be decent for a guy but otherwise unso for a 'lady'"

M'rgann smiled brightly, his big doe brown eyes squinting in joy.

Dixie would have been shocked if M'rgann wasn't a telepath.

Suddenly a flash of red surrounded her.

"No way! Dude stop being such a troll!"

Dixie opened her mouth but M'rgann defended her first.

"Dude, it's true!"

Dixie always wanted to snicker whenever M'rgann said 'dude' or anything like that, he was just so sweet and his voice was kid like, lacking deep tones.

Kid Flash skidded to a stop and shot M'rgann a glare.

He wanted to ask how he knew, but again, telepath.

Dixie left for her room, everyones eyes on her, and when she came back everyone was sitting on the couch looking troubled, and slightly forlorn.

"Guys! What's up with the doom and gloom?"

Kryptongirl was the only one relaxing on the couch.

"I told you guys she wasn't crying."

M'rgann levitated up in relieve.

"Oh, Robin I was so worried I just felt a flurry of emotions and-!"

Wally sped up to her and his motor mouth just ran.

"I'm sorry du- it was just unexpected! I'm total-!"

Both of them stopped talking when they noticed her in a skirt, it had leggings, but _still_. Oh yeah and her mask was off.

Artemis almost choked on her spit.

"_Dixie?"_

Heads spun to the blonde archer, who was sputtering.

Dixie giggled, her blue eyes sparkling in mirth and mischief (and hidden deeper relief that she was practically giddy with).

"It's a long story." She said with a bright smile.

So that night she sat down and told it, the group talking and laughed and exhausting themselves into a sleepy, cuddly, dog pile of sidekicks.

For some reason it became a ritual on the weekends, or any night the team was there together.

Dixie loved being so close to them, they were her family.

_For months the team started to get the hang of missions and they grew together, Kryptongirl took the name Cora Kent, and Superman started to accept her more, Artemis confided in the team with her parents more, and they learned more about M'rgann's life on mars._

* * *

_Through those months they kept the tradition of hanging out, talking and eventually passing out in a cuddly dog pile. It was at one of those nights they got an inkling of something **wrong **that happened to Dixie._

Artemis had the smuggest grin ever.

"_So…_ How many of you ever done the, you know?" The suggestiveness in her voice was obvious.

Wally had made a noise in the back of his throat, his face red.

"Artemis! Gosh there are children here!"

He said gesturing to Dixie.

"Poor, innocent Rebecca subjected to you tactlessness."

He zipped over and covered her ears, a huge grin on his face.

"Hey!" she pushed away Wally and they all giggled.

Dixie grinned and rolled her eyes.

"_Besides_ I'm not a virgin."

The laughter stopped.

Cora squinted her eyes in thought.

"But you're so young."

Dixie rolled her eyes and flopped onto her back.

Poor M'rgann must have been flooded with hidden emotions, because he tentatively reached a hand out to her. She shook her head slightly.

_Just drop it._

"Ya dude, you're only thirteen," Wally said worriedly, completely oblivious to the interactions between her and M'rgann.

Dixie sighed, "_Dude_ it just happened, don't want to talk about it, end of story."

"O-okay, so who's ready to watch that movie, can't wait to see Hugh Jackman, in all his glory." Artemis said, in a 'let's just change the subject' tone.

Wally shot her a 'wtf' look, completely confused. Artemis just glared at him, and whispered harshly, "Just drop it."

Dixie ignored them both and giggled at the thought of seeing Hugh Jackman 'in all his glory', rolled on to her stomach, and plopped the movie into the DVD player.

She loved superhero movies.

* * *

_The team was tense, worried for her, but eventually they relaxed again, and everything was fine. With the team and she hoped, at school._


	3. Chapter 3

**(A/N) Baichan: Gah! I have more reviewers! Yay! Oh and the next chapter will take a little while to come out because I'm still typing it.**

**To Shark 8: Thank you for reading my story and I'm glad you coulld only find two things to correct me on. Let me be defensive for a sec, I don't have beta reade, so I write and edit the story by myself. Aaand, now that you've corrected the story, what do you think of it? Also well, I understand your point, but you have to think off their position, one they are celebraties, if she pressed charges it would be all over the news, EVERYONE would know. Another is if the authorities don't know, they can't do anything. Also you have to think about Catalina's personality (this might make more sense if you read the chapter... maybe) and Bruce. For one thing Catalina isn't even 18. And think about what would happen if they had a face off with their personalities. Plus the whole situation is just... **

**To RobinFangirl: I love your reviews! Firstly, as you'll see in this chapter, well... You'll have to read to see. ;) Next thanks for understanding, it just really didn't work, cause you know how most families are like 'I would take away your pain if I can' well the Bat family just comes off like that, and well, they probably would try their hardest. And I was debating them knowing her identities but it felt necessary that they know her _really_ well for something I'm planning. Oh gosh the genders... I was having the biggest debate with them but if I put in a girl! Wally I would've wanted to put in BirdFlash no other pairings, Artemis I don't think I have a good enough feel to genderbend her and really, my favorite people on the team to genderbend would have to be Robin, Superboy(girl) and Miss(ter) Martian.**

* * *

_Dixie's life, not just Robin's, changed for what she hoped was the better after the 'incident' with Bruce._

* * *

_She switched schools in order to get away from the obsessiveness, and almost stalker like (she refused to go there though, Catalina was just passionate that's why she lov-had loved her) advances. She could just be walking in the hallway and she would be there, acting like nothing was wrong then drag her away so they could 'talk' in private, acting like they had just had a small spat, like they were still friends with a standing foundation of trust (she felt on edge around Catalina, like she might try something she was pretty sure she didn't want, that was a lack of trust right?) like they were still Catalina 'n Dixie the two people who were joined at the hip, who went everywhere and **anywhere **with each other._

She walked to the hangout between 3rd and 4th period, where the classes their friends had were close together and they even had a ridiculously long time to get there books. Catalina was standing there talking to one of their closer friends.

"-can't believe I couldn't come over!"

"I know right! You guys are so, like, glued to the hip with superglue, and suddenly you can't hang out at her house anymore?"

Catalina seemed frustrated huffing, puffing, and rolling her eyes.

"It's just because of her tight wad of a dad, _dio._ He keeps _ma amiga_ on a tighter leash than _ma perro_."

She was frustrated, or maybe angry. Dixie could tell because she was integrating more Spanish in the conversation and making dramatic hand motions with her hands, one restricted because of her books.

Reluctantly Dixie began to walk past them. She couldn't just avoid them, they were standing on a corner directly next to the doorway to her next class and would see her when she approached it. They also had shared that class with her.

The girl, their friend _(Catalina's friend)_ pointed to her and whispered something. From this angled she could only see Catalina's ponytail, she did see Catalina's hand lightly slap the girl, and could see the telling signs of laughter.

Catalina turned and was somehow immediately in Dixie's face.

Dixie tried to step back but Catalina grabbed her shoulder and chattered into her ear about how unfair parents were.

She led her in the girl's bathroom 2 corridors away from the one with their classes.

"We're going to be late."

Catalina's grip tightened, she smiled though it seemed strained.

"Don't worry."

Dixie looked down and kept walked, allowing Catalina to guide her into the bathroom. Another girl was in there, blubbering about her boyfriend. Catalina moved quickly, pushing her out and locking the door.

Hazily Dixie looked around, and noticed it was less of a bathroom and more of a powdering room. _It even had a fancy sofa._ Catalina in a paranoid manner examined the room. Then she smiled, or smirked. Either way Dixie thought it was meant to be seductive or flirty. Subconsciously she noted how gorgeous she was, yet, somehow slightly frazzled and on edge, like someone was ruffling her feathers, or like a smoker on nicotine patches.

She corned the motionless Dixie and lightly pushed her down on the couch.

Dixie moved her hands to weakly grab Catalina's.

"Not here. Not at school."

Catalina smiled, white teeth behind cherry scented lips. Tan hands grabbed her own, the nails lightly scraping Dixie's skin.

"Catalina no… Please."

Catalina sighed, "I'm not going to let your father keep us apart."

She moved closer so her hot breath breather in her ear. Her nails pressed into Dixie's hands.

"Nothing will keep us apart,_ amore_."

* * *

_Dixie stayed in the powder room the rest of the day. She laid there and counted the bells._

_4 more. 3 more. 2 more. 1 more. At the final bell she stood and walked out stiffly. A few of her teachers, mainly the ones who's classes she had skipped tried to get her attention to chastise her, or something along that manner. But then they remembered who she was, or more likely who was in association with her. Dixie Grayson, ward of Bruce Wayne who essentially signed over half the paychecks of Gotham city and one of the biggest contributors to the school, they told themselves to alleviate the feelings of favoritism and leniency that she was a straight 'A' student (she was) and that they would talk to her next time, if there was one (there wasn't, but they wouldn't have down anything anyway)._

_Stoically she walked to the limo that Alfred was driving. She refused any communication with him only looking at her hands the whole ride. When they were home she didn't get out, but continued to stare at her hands like having phalanges were a foreign concept and she was shocked to have, like most primates, opposable thumbs._

_Rebecca remained that way until a worried Alfred ran out to get Bruce from the manor._

_Bruce, who shook her shoulders (who was keeping them apart). Bruce who carried her inside (who Catalina wouldn't** allow** to keep them apart). Bruce who's hand made a distinctive sound across her cheek._

Dixie gaped as her hands shot to her cheek, gingerly caressing it. Her eyes immediately focused on Bruce.

"I told you it would work."

"Certainly Master Bruce, I only wished it hadn't been necessary.

_Oh god. Did Alfred know? Did he know when he was doing the household laundry that the blood on her night shirt wasn't just from the life of a vigilante? Did he know the bruises on her wrists weren't from the most recent kidnapping? Did he know every time her bed was **so** messy that it was Catalina who had been there? Whose hands caressed, and who loved her, who said her name so specifically? Dixie, Dixie Di-_

"xie! Dixie!"

Dixie's hands shot out to grab the ones shaking her shoulders causing her head now held still by the muscles in her neck, to previously loll back and forth.

The hands stopped shaking her and she was pulled in a hug, her silky medium length black hair being stroked soothingly.

Her arms slowly wrapped around the large build of the person embracing her.

"Dixie. You need to stay with us."

Bruce. Her father.

Her hands tightened and she ignored the feeling of nails pressing into her skin.

_She told him what happened, leaving the gorier details out. Bruce demanded she switched schools.  
__She didn't fight him._

* * *

Dixie felt lost as she roamed the large school, sure she knew the layout and where all her classes were but, she wanted to take the chance as a new kid to explore, beside even if you 'know' something, it can take a while to actually _know _it.

As she was turning a corner, looking around with interest at her knew school, someone ran into her. Literally.

Dixie found herself on the ground, another girl on top of her. She felt herself swimming from consciousness and barely kept herself there, she latched onto the fact that the girl was smaller than _her._

The girl made a noise of confusion and frantically pushed herself up into a sitting position. Dixie also pushed herself into a sitting position but much slower and groaned.

Head meet floor.

"Oh gosh! I'm so sorry are you okay?"

Dixie looked up to see concerned blue eyes and fiery red hair; the light shined brightly in her eyes.

Dixie squinted.

"Aren't you the Commissioner's daughter?"

The girl squinted her eyes and pouted her lip in a mock thoughtful look.

"Hm…. Aren't you Bruce Wayne's daughter?"

Dixie nodded and immediately regretted it.

At the groan she made the girl's face changed back to concern.

"Come on, let's get you to the nurse's station."

The girl, Barbara, as she introduced herself later, helped Dixie up.

"It's really just like any other nurse's _office_, they just call it a station this school is all prestigious."

Dixie laughed.

Barbara smiled, "Haha, thanks for being my get out of class free card, and trust me the classes here aren't that bad it's just, ugh geometry."

Dixie giggled, "Ya I just hope I have a better teacher than at my last school."

Barbara rolled her eyes, "I'm sorry to disappoint."

Dixie pouted, "Darn."

Barbara giggled and opened the door to the nurse's station.

"Barbara, did you run into someone again? I thought you took ballet!"

Barbara rolled her eyes, "It's the uniform ma'am!"

_The nurse declared Dixie lacking of a concussion and just gave her some ice for the small bump on the back of her head, and sent them both back to class with pass. Barbara offered to be Dixie's tour guide. Dixie accepted._

Barbara pouted, "I hope your head feels better, I'm so sorry for that."

Dixie glanced at Barbara flashing a reassuring smile, and turned to stare at the solid wood door.

"It's fine," she said, about to turn the nob.

Barbara's hand shot out to stop her from turning the handle. Dixie looked up, puzzled, to see her worrying her lip in thought, her nails pressed lightly into Dixie's hand. Barbara stopped to flash her a brilliant smile.

"Hey, we should hang out sometime!"

Barbara's hand squeezed Dixie's, her fingers sliding so the nails didn't press in.

Dixie returned the smile with what she hoped was a warm friendly grin.

"Definitely!" she said cheerfully.

Barbara's smile, if possible, brightened.

The redheads arms wrapped around her and pressed Dixie to Barbara in a quick tight hug.

Then she was gone, already turning around the corner with a wave and a quick "see ya".

Dixie was glad Barbara didn't linger, her heart was speeding in her chest, and she was pretty sure her face was the color of Barbara's hair.

Taking a deep breath she hoped she had managed to calm herself somewhat from her flustered state before entering the classroom.

All through class she couldn't help but wonder if she had been nervous, or if it was something else.

Either way, she had to stop herself from grinning like an idiot the next time she saw the redhead.

_They were friends, on what felt like a more equal level than with Catalina. Even with Dixie's increased heart rate, she didn't feel romantic (had it been romance?) or threatening undertones to their relationship.  
_

* * *

_Then one day she came home and there was a flower on her door, a rose. _

Dixie was walking home when she spotted something red on her door step. She ran to it and saw it was a rose, just one, and a small paper card attached to it that clearly saidin familiar, elegant script, _To: Rebecca_. With red cheeks she picked it up, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear she shot a glance behind her to see if the person was still there.  
Seeing no one she opened the card.

_Dear Rebbeca, I love you,  
__ and no one,  
__not your father  
__Or a firecrotch can change that.  
__You're mine _cariño_.  
__Love,  
__Catalina3_


	4. Chapter 4

Her hands were shaking and her fingers tightened around the flower. Stumbling into the house she barreled into her room and dropped the items on the floor.

A sob ripped through her throat and suddenly she felt paranoid. More paranoid than Bat paranoid.

She scratched her arms and ran to her window, closing the blinds.

The brief panic that had swept over her left and she just felt tired. Grabbing the flower she picked it up because it was more pleasing to look at than the note and easier to think about than _her_.

Dixie ran a finger gently over the soft petals. It was beautiful, the petals bright red and the stem a green.

Biting her lip she looked over at the lilies that were still in the vase, she had had to throw away some of them as they withered and died and the few that were left were on their last leg. Petals falling around the vase were scooped and put in a glass bowl she claimed was potpourri.

Sticking the rose in the center of the lilies she arranged them around it until she had a pretty assortment of flower, the rose as the center piece, standing out against the withering lilies.

Dixie bit her lip as a heat rose in her chest and she thought about the note. Thought about crying and –_ don't worry mia amor, I can make it better._

Catalina loved her, had seen her at her weakest and loved her.

Twiddling her thumbs she thought about calling Catalina. Thought of the Spanish that would be spoken to her. _Cariño, Mia amor._

_Love._

That's what Catalina did, right? She loved her. Would do anything for her, right? Even stop. Dixie just had to stop her, just had to say no firmly. Then she would stop. Right?

Looking down at her hands she grabs her phone and types in Catalina's number. Her finger paused over the glowing green call button.

Catalina loved her.

Right?

Suddenly there was a knock on her door.

"Dixie, I do believe Master Bruce is looking for you."

Looking at the clock she saw it was four thirty.

Crap! She was supposed to be at the mountain at four.

Where did the time go?

Rushing she ran down to the cave to change into uniform mumbling about having been caught up on a phone call with Barbara.

* * *

At Mount Justice they were training.

Artemis was stretching, preparing to practice the basic gymnastics she knew and continue to work on more difficult moves.

Wally was sparring with Cora. Both could go rounds with each other for long periods of time.

Kaldur was practicing using weapons other than his water bearers. Wouldn't hurt to know how just in case.

Dixie was sparring too, but only with a training dummy. Being at peak performance meant being able to do everything you do as best as you can. That meant not getting rusty, and that meant practice. Lots of it.

Going into a natural defense position she circled the dummy and then struck out with her left hand, hitting where the jaw would be.

Defense. Duck.

_She loves me._

Offense. Two quick jabs in the arm and shoulder.

_Right?_

Defense. Block.

_She tells me she loves me._

Circle your opponent.

_Does that mean she loves me?_

Tight form, no holes in the defense.

_She calls me her love._

Kick in the back.

_Does that mean she cares for me?_  
Follow through, out of the kick.

_She touches me._

She pauses.

_Does that mean she wants me?_

Seconds too long. _Move!_

With a cry she launches a punch at the head of the dummy, pouring all her body weight and power behind it.

The head pops off and rolls to Cora's feet.

Cora's staring at her and so is Wally.

A quick glance shows her that everyone else is too.

She chuckles awkwardly.

"Sorry, I guess I just, uh, lost my head."

Wally cringes and she knows she said the wrong thing.

_They continued practicing after she reattached the head. Determined to concentrate she forces Catalina out of her thoughts. It's just about control, feeling everything. The slight ache in her hand, the bend of her joints, every muscle, stretch of skin, and twitch of her nose she felt and controlled._

_It was all about control._

At the end of practice she headed for the zeta beams.

A hand grabbed hers and pulled her back towards the living room.

"Where are you going?" Artemis asked, pulling her towards the team.

"Ya, it's Friday and Artemis made me get 'Love Letters'." Wally said, already stretched out on the floor in front of the tv.

"It's a good movie and Cora needs more education in romance." Artemis said with a smirk.

Wally made a face.

"Oh come on." Artemis said throwing her hands up, "We had to suffer through a zombie movie marathon last week."

Dixie pouted, eyes flickering between the tv and the zeta beams.

She needed to call Catalina, hear her say _'mia amor' _and then she'll establish rules. It could work. She just needed to control it.

She could've stopped her if she had wanted to.

Wanted to.

That sent a pang of emotions through her chest so she trained her eyes on the tv.

"I liked the zombie movies."

Artemis sighs, "Of course you did."

Pushing her down on the couch Artemis sits next to her.

"Start the movie Motor Mouth."

Wally hit the play button.

"Whoa. Was not expecting that." Wally said.

Artemis pursed her lips, "Ya I forgot about the ending, but it was still a good movie."

"I don't get it." Cora said.

"What don't you get?" Dixie asked.

Cora looked down at her nails. Short and blunt.

"They were both female right?" she asked, naively.

It was quiet.

"Yes." Dixie finally answered calmly.

But inside she had a horrible anxious feeling in her gut. What if the G gnomes taught her it was bad to be gay? What if Cora hated her?

Cora scrunches her eyebrows.

"Homosexual?"

Dixie nodded.

"So. People from the same sex can like each other?" she asked, spelling the concept out.

"Yes." Dixie said.

_Please don't hate me._

"My people sometimes partake in homosexual activity but it is a small amount of them." Kaldur said.

"People on Mars shape shift." Said M'rgann, "Gender doesn't matter when you can change it so easily."

Cora nods and then leans back.

"So. Are any of you homosexual?" she asks, saying the word homosexual so stiffly it was almost funny.

Wally snorts, "As if, all of this," he gestures to himself, "is lady's man."

Artemis rolls her eyes but chooses (barely) to ignore him.

"So far? No."

Kaldur shakes his head and M'rgann just reiterates that gender doesn't matter.

Dixie purses her lips and doesn't say anything.

She didn't remember ever really liking guys and when she tries to think about it all she can think about is Catalina.

So instead of answering she draws her knees in close to her body and wraps her arms around them.

_Please don't ask me. Please don't ask me. Pleasedonta-_

"What about you Dixie?" Artemis asks a look on her face like she knew the answer and was just asking so they could finish explaining to Cora.

She bites her lip and looks away. She can't lie to them.

"Uh, ya actually I am."

Silence permeates the air as the others absorb this.

She can't look at them. She knows M'rgann won't care but the others are much more opinionated and bias about these things. Especially Wally and Artemis.

She feels a dip in the couch and Artemis is next to her and gives her a hug.

"Hey, it's okay."

Fingers brush her face and –_ was I crying?_

She looks up at Artemis who seems uncertain, but is trying to comfort her.

"I don't care girl wonder."

Dixie gives her a shaky smile but a sob is caught in her throat.

The others settle around her, Wally babbling about how it'sokayit'sokayit'sokay, M'rgann singing to her softly over the mind link, Kaldur just being there, silent and strong, and Cora grabbing her hand and whispering to her.

_You can be whoever you want to be._

_Just be yourself._


End file.
